Scientific Impact Recognition Award. Sentinel node staging for breast cancer: intraoperative molecular pathology overcomes conventional histologic sampling errors. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • BACKGROUND: When sentinel node dissection reveals breast cancer metastasis, completion axillary lymph node dissection is ideally performed during the same operation. Intraoperative histologic techniques have low and variable sensitivity. A new intraoperative molecular assay (GeneSearch BLN Assay; Veridex, LLC, Warren, NJ) was evaluated to determine its efficiency in identifying significant sentinel lymph node metastases (>.2 mm). METHODS: Positive or negative BLN Assay results generated from fresh 2-mm node slabs were compared with results from conventional histologic evaluation of adjacent fixed tissue slabs. RESULTS: In a prospective study of 416 patients at 11 clinical sites, the assay detected 98% of metastases >2 mm and 88% of metastasis greater >.2 mm, results superior to frozen section. Micrometastases were less frequently detected (57%) and assay positive results in nodes found negative by histology were rare (4%). CONCLUSIONS: The BLN Assay is properly calibrated for use as a stand alone intraoperative molecular test.

publication date

  • October 1, 2007

Research

keywords

  • Adenocarcinoma
  • Breast Neoplasms
  • Diagnostic Errors
  • Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy
  • Specimen Handling

Identity

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 34548492468

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2007.07.008

PubMed ID

  • 17826050

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 194

issue

  • 4